Let’s first understand what is a vow? Simply put, every prayer or a commitment that we make to follow a particular path is a vow.
Buddhism also teaches us that all people cherish a fundamental wish in the depths of their lives that is, to find happiness for themselves and to see their loved ones also become happy.
We may think that we have so many of our own struggles in life. Making a vow for others may feel like some kind of sacrifice. But that’s not true. Daishonin says that we all have the Buddha nature existing in us. When we chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, we are activating and awakening this Buddha nature in us which not only makes us happy but also deepens our vow towards happiness and compassion towards people around us.
There is a beautiful line from President Ikeda which explains, “A vow in Buddhism can be likened to the power with which we break the chains of karma, to free oneself from the fetters of the past and to forge a self that can look with hope to a new future”.
Though it may be easier to remember our vow when things are favorable, it is precisely when we face the greatest struggles that we must deepen our commitment by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and challenging ourselves. By continuously affirming this vow for the happiness of self and others, we can realize our unique mission, cultivate our strengths and experience boundless joy.
The great vow of Nichiren Daishonin is nothing other than kosen-rufu. This is also the great vow of the mentors and disciples of the Soka Gakkai – the three founding presidents and the members throughout the world who have fought along with them. They have stood up together with a deep awareness as the Daishonin’s direct disciples and a burning sense of mission as the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
Making a vow is the fundamental driving force for spreading hope and courage throughout society.
When Josei Toda became the second President of Soka Gakkai, he enshrined in the Soka Gakkai headquarters, the Gohonzon which is the object of devotion and also created the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu, in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, as part of the Soka Gakkai Headquarters complex.
Moving on, let’s talk about the Shared Vow of Mentor and Disciple.
The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin very clearly say that Buddhist practice is not complete if we simply seek personal benefit. It is when we make the Buddha’s vow our own and strive for both ourselves and others to attain Buddhahood that we can enjoy the highest life state of happiness. Taking action based on this spirit is known as the “oneness of mentor and disciple.” By following the example of a mentor who embodies this vow, and learning from him, we can bring forth the hope, compassion, courage and wisdom that we need in order to advance.
The mentor-disciple relationship has always been a key to Buddhist practice. In the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni encouraged his disciples to always practice the sutra true to the spirit in which it was taught. But the aim of the mentor-disciple relationship in Buddhism is not that the mentor expects the disciple to blindly follow, but that the mentor seeks to train the disciple to achieve an even greater state of development than that of the mentor.
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